Pneumatic grain-elevator



(No Model- L LA RUE SMITH.

PNEUMATIG GRAIN ELEVATOR. Y

N. PETERS mmmmgnpn-r. wmansm n c s NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LYMAN LA `non SMITH, or KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

PNEUMATIC GRAIN-ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,305, dated November 28, 1882,

I Application filed August 4, 1882. (o model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, L. LA RUE SMITH,a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and` State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Grain-Eleva tors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the class of grainelevators which are operated by thepneumatic process. The elevator is cheap in first cost, simple in construction, economic in its operation, and easily manipulated'.

Heretofore in the class of elevators which elevate grain by pneumatic pressure the vacuum has been weakened bythe air rushinginto the mouth of the delivery-pipe, which'is open to the vacuum-chamber and to the atmosphere. The result of this is that the inrushing air retards the delivery ofthe grain, and at the same time partially destroys'the vacuum in the chamber, and therefore weakens the power of the elevator, which, economically considered, is a great loss. It is also well known that grain or other'material may he readily elevated any desired height by pneumatic means; but the great difficulty heretofore has been to discharge it without weakening thepowerof the vacuum, and to maintain intact the even working of the apparatus. To avoid these and other objections, and to insure a continuously and economically working elevator, is the object of my invention.

To this end my invention consists in t-he arrangement of the grain-tubes, which are provided wi'th self-operating or automatic valves, and a vacuum-chamber interposed between the mouth of the delivery-pipe and the exhaustpipe; and it further consists in means for relieving the grain-tubes of the vacuum-pressure for facilitating the delivery of the grain and taking it out of the current, and also in means for shutting oifthe admission ofatmospheric air through the said discharge graintubes, and in other details of construction, as will hereinafter more fully appear, and be pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,

vlligure l represents a vertical longitudinalsection of my improved elevator; Fig.'2, an elevation showin g a portion of the exhaust-ch amber broken away, and also clearly showing the front valves and bottom valves mechanically connected. Fig. 3 shows apartial elevation and section of one of the grain-pipes, showing an air-pipe and valve adapted to be operated by gravity. Fig. 4 shows a detached view ofthe delivery and combined induction and eduction valves. The deliver -valves are adapted to operate the latter valves. Figs. 5 and 6 represent other means of operating the valvesz. e., by cranks and chains. Like letters denote like parts in all the gures.

A is the vacuum-chamber, which also serves -the purpose of areceptacle for the grain. This combined vacuum-chamber and receptacle A `is provided with four or more openings acting respectively for thefollowing purposes, viz: a for the reception of the grain, and b for the exhaust of foreign or extraneous matter and air, and c c for the alternate discharge of the grain from the vacuum-chamber. To these four apertures I attach respectively four tubes or pipes, pipe d for the elevation of the grain, pipe e for exhausting the chamber of air, etc., and pipes f f .for discharging the grain from the receptacle or vacuum-chamber into any place where it is desired to store it, as into cars, ships, &c. All these pipes or tubes are peculiarly constructed with a view to adetnite object. below the elbow to its entrance into the vacuum-chamber. The object is to relieve the friction due to a moving body against the side of a stationar i surface, and by this means lessen the pressure at the throat ofthe pipe, and thus facilitate the entrance of the grain to the chamber. The exhaust-pipe is Haring at its month,

whereby the iiying cloud-like particles more readily enter than if the throat were narrow. The induction and eduction grain-tubes fj" are provided with valves l 2 3 4 at their ends, which valves l and 2 are arranged to close upward within the tubes by action ofthe vacuum and air,while the lower set, 3 and 4, open downward outside of the tubes by the weight ofthe grain therein.

G G are induction andl ednction slide and cut-oit valves, arranged Vto workin guide-boxes g g' and on-valve-Seats ou the outside of the The pipe d taperingly enlarges fromV grain-tubes f f.

These guide-boxes g g and valves G G serve an importantfunction in the operation of my elevator when the upper valves, l 2, are open and the lower valves, 3 and 4, are closed, the object ot' which willbe described further on.

h h' are valve stems or rods for operating the valvesGG. At the lower end, and between the grain-tubes fj", are hinged the duplex valves 3 and 4.which are rigidly fastened to each other, so that one valve cannot move in either direction without the other-th at is to say, when one of these valves closes the other opens. Attached to these valves 3 and 4 is a crosshead, I, which is pivoted to the pintle of the valve-hinge. To this cross-head I connect the stems or rods h h', so that when the valves 3 and 4 move they must necessarily move and open or close the induction and eduction slide valves G G'. I prefer to weight the valve 3 for the purpose of overcoming equilibrium or balancing of the valves. The side or gravity valves, G G'", may not Ybe employed at the same time the positively-connected valves are used, one simply being a modification -ot' the other, and either to be used at the option of the operator.

Attached to the guide-boxes g g are air-conveying tubes jj'. 'lhese tubes have an important function, (which cannot be too much impressed on the mind of the operator or builder,l and which will be described hereinafter.

Within the vacuum-chamber A is located a deflector or bafde plate, B, which is preferably curved toward the exhaust-pipe, so that the grain, when entering the vacuum-cham ber, will have ample room to distribute itself in said chamber.

I locate a lipA or deector, C', on the lower side ofthe mouth of the exhaust-pipe @,the object being to prevent any grain entering it along with chaff, dust, Sac., which is usually extracted from the grain while in transit through the pneumatic elevator.

Upon the top of the vacuum-chamberI locate a man-hole, C, for ready access to the inside ot' said chamber. I also place for a safety-valve (against collapse)V a vacuum-valve, D, which is .designed to open inward to relieve over vacuumpressure, and to regulate the vacuum according to the kind of grain used; and I also place a vacuum-gage, E, which will show the pressure within the vacuum-chamber; and upon the body of the chamber, and also upon the induction and eduction tubes ff', I locate eye or peep holes K, by which the operation within the said chamber and pipes may be observed.

The operation of my elevator is as follows: The blower-engine being put in operation and a partial vacuum created thereby in the vacuum-chamber A, grain or other substances put into the car or feeder F is then elevated into the receptacle or said vacuum-chamber A, and deposits itself in one of the grain-tubes, as j". When the tube f is nearly filled the weight of the grain opens the lower valve, 4, and closes valve 3, and causes the valve G to register with the port in box g' and the lower port in the wall of tube f. The opening of the valve G closes connection with pipe j', as between the latter and tubes f', and registers with the lower port in the guide-box g', and that in the side of the tube to which it is attached, thereby permitting a free admission of air into the tube f', which simultaneously closes the valve 2 with the opening of valve 4. By this operation the vacuum in the tubef is destroyed, thus permitting the grain in the said tube to fall bodily by its own gravity, and at the same time the atmospheric air is prevented from entering the vacuum-chamber by valve 2, and which, being closed, permits the air in the tube f', when the lower valve, 4', is closed and valve G registers with tubes j', to be exhausted through pipej, into the vacuum-chamber above the body of grain, and allows valve l to fall open of its own weight. The foregoing operation is repeated by the other tube,f, or by as many tubes of like character as may be deemed expedient. It should be remembered that the tubes ff are induction-tubes while receiving the grain, and eduction-tubes while discharging it.

It is obvious that oneor more elevating-tubes may be employed, as may be found necessary, and attached to the receptacle and vacuumchamber.

By suitable connections attached to the elevating-pipes the grain may be moved vertically or horizontally from any point desired.

The pipes and vacuum-Chaiubermay be made -of any desired shape or conformation.

Having described my invention and the best means at present known to me for carrying the same into effect, I desire to say that I do not wish to confine myself to the exact form shown, as modifications may be made within limits without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in `a grainelevator, of the elevating grain-tube and the exhaust-tube with a combined vacuum-chamber and receptacle, the said tubes being enlarged at their connecting ends with the said chamber, said chamber having a baffle-plate, and the exhaustpipe having a deecting-lip, substantially as described.

2. In an elevator for grain or other material, the combination of the exhaust-chamber provided with a beide-plate, an elevating-tube, an exhaust-tube, the latter being slightly above the former` and having a downwardly-project ing lip, by means of which baffle-plate, lip, and position of tubes the heavier material isrmade to take a downward current, while the lighter particles are separated therefrom and made to take an upward current, substantially as described.

3. In an elevator for grain or other material, the combination, with a vacuum-chamber forming a receptacle for the grain, the elevat- IOO IIO

IIS

ing and exhausting tubes connected therewith, and the tubes f j?, the latter being provided ranged to be alternately opened and closed forV destroying the vacuum in the said tubes, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in an elevator, consisting of the combined vacuum and receptacle chamber, the tubes ff', said tubes being provided with inwardly and outwardly opening valves arranged -to open automatically, said tubes communicating with the exhaust-chamber byr independent means, as set forth.

6. The combination, in a grain-elevator, con sisting of the vacuum and grain-receiving chamber,the tubesff,thealternatingopening and closing valves, and the air-cut-oi' valves G G', all operating together intbe manner set iorth. l

7. The combination, in a grainelevator, of the tubes ff', the mechanically connected opening valves G, G. 3, and 4, and the air- -pressure closing valves 1 and 2, substantially as described..

8. The combination, in a grain-elevator, of 3o Athe tubesff. and the automatically-operating valves 1, 2, 3, and 4, and the slide-valves G G',

arranged to open and close duplex air-ports' by the movement of the said valves 8 and 4, as set forth and described.

9. The process herein described of elevating and delivering grain, consisting in first elevating it by pneumatic power, then separating it from the air-current, equalizin g the pressure in vvthe induction-tube and vacuum-chamber, then shutting oli' the vacuum-pressure from said tube, and admitting air above the grain to be delivered.

. l0. In combination with tbe vacuum-chamber A, a safety-valve for preventing the collapse ofthe vacuum-valve, and a vacuum-gage for indicating the pressure within the vacuumchamber, substantially as described.

1l. In combination with the grain induction and eduction tubesff, the eye or peep holes K K, by means ot' which the operation within the tubes may be observed.

1n testimony whereof I affix my signaturein presence of two Witnesses.

LYMA-N` LA VRUE SMITH. Witnesses:

H. F. BUNGARDT, LYMAN SMITH. 

